Review – KitGuruhttps://www.kitguru.net
The KitGuru SystemTue, 14 Aug 2018 19:16:08 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.7Armari AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX – 32-Core Threadripper 2 Workstation Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/components/james-morris/armari-amd-ryzen-threadripper-2990wx-32-core-threadripper-2-workstation-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/components/james-morris/armari-amd-ryzen-threadripper-2990wx-32-core-threadripper-2-workstation-review/#respondTue, 14 Aug 2018 07:17:03 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=382816AMD may not have quite managed to rout Intel with its Ryzen 7 and Threadripper in the same way it managed to a decade or so ago with the Athlon FX and Opteron. But it’s certainly keeping Intel on its toes. We’ve seen some great new CPUs from Intel to head AMD off at the pass, and the original Threadripper really gave Intel’s Core i9 something to think about when we put the two head to head last year. Although the 18-core Core i9 7980XE just about returned the performance crown to Intel, it didn’t win on price. But the latest round could be more of a killer blow. Alongside an updated successor to the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X called the 2950X, which is very similar but with higher clock speeds, is a much more interesting proposition for workstation users – the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX. With a whopping 32 cores running at up to 4.2GHz, this processor has something to offer every type of workstation user. We took our first look at the new core-count champion in a workstation from Armari.

To put what AMD has achieved in perspective, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX’s 32 cores give it four more even than Intel’s top 28-core Xeon Platinum 8180. Aside from the latter being more difficult to get hold of than hen’s teeth, they also cost around £9,000 each. Yet the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX is more like £1,600. Admittedly, this is still a lot for a processor, but it’s £100 cheaper than Intel’s Core i9 7980XE, which only sports 18 cores.

Just to cement the impressiveness of the 2990WX on paper, this is nominally a 3GHz processor, but has a Boost Frequency up to 4.2GHz, similar to the original Threadripper 1950X, which only has 16 cores. Using capable cooling, you could potentially run this CPU at 4GHz across all cores, or (even better) let AMD’s amazing Ryzen Master software dynamically overclock your cores so many of them run at 4.2GHz and most at close to 4GHz.

So whether you’re running code that likes clock speed, such as 3D modelling software, or multi-threaded applications like 3D rendering or video encoding, this CPU will be in its element. Intel’s humungously expensive Xeon Platinum 8180, in contrast, has a nominal 2.5GHz clock, and can run two cores at 3.8GHz or all of them at 3.2GHz. Although KitGuru hasn’t reviewed any systems with this CPU, the writer of this article has, so we will be able to offer some comparisons to underline how much you get for your money with the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX.

In order to provide the best comparison, we are looking at the new Threadripper in an Armari workstation that is very similar in specification to the ones we used for our Threadripper versus Core i9 article. The graphics is also from AMD, in the shape of a Radeon Pro WX 9100, which is the professional version of the Radeon Vega Frontier Edition that came with our previous Threadripper workstation.

Unlike most reviews you will see from our gaming website competitors, we draw upon a lengthy experience reviewing workstations, for example our Complete Guide to Workstations provided a comprehensive analysis of which components you should choose for specific professional applications. We have an extensive track record looking at professional systems, such as the £18,000 Workstation Specialists WS-X1100, and £9,000 Scan 3XS GW-HT35. So read on to find out the definitive answer to the question, is the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX the best current workstation processor in the world?

Armari Magnetar S32T-RD1000G2 Specifications:

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX @4GHz

Enermax Liqtech TR4 Water Cooling

64GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3600 SDRAM @ 3,000MHz

Asrock X399 Taichi Motherboard

16GB HBM AMD Radeon Pro WX 9100 Graphics

1TB Samsung PM981 M.2 NVMe PCI Express SSD

LiteOn Slimline SATA DVD-RW

1000W EVGA SuperNOVA Gold Efficiency PSU

Armari Magnetar S-Series Chassis

Windows 10 Professional 64-bit

3 Years Warranty (1st Year On-Site, 2nd and 3rd Years RTB Parts and Labour)

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/components/james-morris/armari-amd-ryzen-threadripper-2990wx-32-core-threadripper-2-workstation-review/feed/0NETGEAR Orbi (RBK23) AC2200 Mesh Wi-Fi System Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/james-morris/netgear-orbi-rbk23-ac2200-mesh-wi-fi-system-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/james-morris/netgear-orbi-rbk23-ac2200-mesh-wi-fi-system-review/#respondMon, 13 Aug 2018 08:43:16 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=381726NETGEAR kicked off the spate of mesh networking systems we have seen over the last couple of years with the Orbi RBK50. Since then, many more alternatives have passed through our test benches, many of which we covered in our Ultimate Mesh WiFi Router Shootout. Whilst the RBK50 remains the gold standard for performance, it also remains pricey, and the units are bulky. So NETGEAR has introduced a smaller, more modestly priced option, available as a two-unit (RBK20) and three-unit (RBK23) bundle.

Whereas the original RBK50 was AC3000 rated, the RBK20/23 only offers AC2200. However, unlike ASUS’s Lyra Trio, this isn’t because of a drop to a dual-band radio configuration. The RBK20/23 units are still tri-band. However, whilst the 2.4GHz radio still offers 400Mbits/sec of bandwidth, now both 5GHz radios use 866Mbit/sec, whereas the RBK50’s backhaul 5GHz radio operates at 1,733Mbits/sec.

There are also two fewer antennas – four instead of six. So whilst the RBK50’s backhaul uses 4×4 antennas, the RBK20/23 has to make do with 2×2. But this is still a dedicated backhaul, with separate 2×2 antennas serving the 2.4GHz and 5GHz radios for client devices.

Since the units are smaller physically as well, each one only has space for two Gigabit Ethernet ports. On the router unit, one of these will be used to connect to your broadband. But the satellites can support two Ethernet devices apiece. You also lose the USB port on the original RBK50, although this wasn’t operational when we first reviewed it.

The upside of the reduced specification is that you can pick up the two-unit RBK20 for under £200, and the three-unit RBK23 we were sent is £280, just £30 more than the two-unit RBK50, and £120 less than the three-unit version of the latter, the RBK53. So if you need excellent home WiFi coverage at a keener price, the RBK23 could be the NETGEAR Orbi for you. We put it through its paces to find out.

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/james-morris/netgear-orbi-rbk23-ac2200-mesh-wi-fi-system-review/feed/0PC Specialist Enigma R1 Review – £799 Gaming PC!https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/briony-hannam/pc-specialist-enigma-r1-review-799-gaming-pc/
https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/briony-hannam/pc-specialist-enigma-r1-review-799-gaming-pc/#respondFri, 10 Aug 2018 09:23:48 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=380625The Enigma R1 from PC Specialist is a gaming PC made for users with a tight budget. You won’t find flashy RGB lights in this PC but you do get some very decent components for the tempting £799 asking price. With the hexa-core i5-8400 paired with a GTX 1060 you should get plenty of fps for your money. But is this PC as good as it sounds? In this review we put it through its paces to find out if this pre-built is the perfect budget gaming PC.

This system uses the hexa-core i5-8400 process which has a base clock of 2.8GHz but will turbo boost up to 3.8GHz under load. The motherboard used is the Micro ATX Prime H310M-A from Asus which contains a single 8GB stick of Corsair Vengeance 2133MHz RAM – meaning there is no dual-channel configuration. Meanwhile, the 3GB GTX 1060 has a default clock of 1506MHz and a boost clock of 1709MHz, while the memory has a clock of 2002MHz (8008MHz effective). The GPU is a Nvidia Palit StormX.

SilverStone was the first to release a passive SFX-L unit based on a platform provided by Enhance Electronics. The NJ450-SXL is fully modular, highly efficient and its overall performance is very good. It is built like a tank since it is surrounded by heatsinks and the only downside is the stiff price tag, which is partly due to the innovative design.

SilverStone was the first brand to fully support the SFX and SFX-L form factors by releasing a great number of relevant models. This brand is devoted to bringing the smallest physical power supplies. Even its ATX form factor models feature increased power densities, thanks to their compact dimensions.

After the strongest SFX-L unit of the market, the SX800-LTI, SilverStone is the first to ever release a passive SFX-L unit, the NJ450-SXL, which like the SX800-LTI is based on an Enhance Electronics platform.

SilverStone’s Nightjar line consists of two units featuring a passive cooling design, the NJ520 which uses the same platform as the Seasonic Platinum fanless 520W (SS-520FL) and the new NJ450-SXL which is physically much smaller.

Those two power supplies don’t use the same passive cooling design – on the one hand the NJ520 features a chassis which looks like Swiss cheese – in an effort to increase airflow and allow the hot air to easier leave the PSU’s internals. The NJ450-SXL is completely surrounded by heatsinks and it doesn’t have any ventilation holes.

The build design of the NJ450-SXL reminds us of industrial grade power supplies, which are called to operate under extremely tough conditions. Given the special design and the amount of heatsinks used on this supply, we are not surprised by its high price tag. After all in the majority of cases the smaller the unit, the more expensive it is and to make matters worse, the passive models carry an extra charge as well.

This power supply features the 80 PLUS Platinum and ETA-A efficiency certifications. Normally it should be classed as ETA-A+ in the Cybenetics scale, but it is lower than the specified threshold power factor readings, so dropped a level.

In the noise section the NJ450-SXL earns the highest Cybenetics badge, LAMBDA-A++, since it doesn’t use a fan and on top of that its electronic noise (aka coil whine) is bottom low. Even if there was any coil whine, the supplies platform is hermetically sealed by the heatsinks that form its chassis, so it would be heavily suppressed.

The maximum temperature for continuous full load delivery is 40°C, which might look low for a power supply featuring a cooling fan, but it is 100% satisfactory for a passive unit. Finally, all protection features are present and the only downside seems to be the warranty, which is low compared to other high-end power supplies.

SilverStone doesn’t follow the warranty marketing war, initially started by EVGA and continued by Corsair and Seasonic. Personally we believe that when it comes to power supplies that warranties exceeding a five year period are totally unrealistic and in the end they will only create problems to both users and the companies that provide them (because if RMA’s exceed a threshold then prices will have to go up in order to cover the losses).

Moreover such long warranties demand for the products to be shipped back to the brands in order to be honoured, and in the majority of cases users have to cover the shipping fees which can be significant (only the return fees are covered by the brands).

Power Specifications

Rail

3.3V

5V

12V

5VSB

-12V

Max. Power

Amps

16

15

37.5

2.5

0.3

Watts

80

450

12.5

3.6

Total Max. Power (W)

450

The minor rails have enough power to cover a small/medium system while the supplies full power can be delivered by the +12V rail alone, which is a typical case for any modern power supply featuring DC-DC converters for the generation of the minor rails.

Finally, the 5VSB has typical capacity, which we see in the majority of power supplies today.

Cables & Connectors

Modular Cables

Description

Cable Count

Connector Count (Total)

Gauge

In Cable Capacitors

ATX connector 20+4 pin (300mm)

1

1

16-22AWG

✗

4+4 pin EPS12V (400mm)

1

1

16AWG

✗

6+2 pin PCIe (400mm+150mm)

2

4

16-18AWG

✗

SATA (300mm+200mm+90mm+90mm)

2

8

18AWG

✗

4 pin Molex (300mm+200mm+200mm)

1

3

18AWG

✗

FDD Adapter (+105mm)

1

1

22AWG

✗

AC Power Cord (1380mm) – C13 coupler

1

1

18AWG

–

We didn’t expect to find a couple of EPS connectors in a 450W unit.

The increased number of PCIe connectors is a nice surprise though, since usually power supplies in this capacity range only come with two PCIe connectors. The number of peripheral connectors is sufficient and the distance between the 4-pin Molex connectors is more than enough.

Lastly, none of the cables features in-line capacitors, since this platform already has good ripple suppression.

The latest SATA SSD drive family from Kingston is the UV500 series. The drives are available in multiple form factors and all feature full disk encryption, Kingston’s first 3D NAND equipped drives to support it. Which is why it sits under the company’s Business banner as well as the Consumer one.

The UV500 series is available in three formats; 2.5in, M.2 2280 and mSATA. The 2.5in range consists of 120GB, 240GB, 480GB, 960GB (the drive Kingston kindly supplied for review) and the recently released flagship 1.92TB drive. The M.2 2280 range has the same capacities but tops out at 960GB while the mSATA range ends with the 480GB drive. The 2.5in model range are available as standalone drives or as part of a desktop/notebook upgrade kit.

Powering the drives is a Marvell 88SS1074, four channel controller which looks after 64-layer 3D TLC NAND. The 28nm controller provides the UV500 with AES 256-bit hardware-based encryption as well as support for TCG Opal 2.0. It also uses Marvell’s third generation error-correcting, low-density parity check (LDPC) technology and provides low power support with integrated DEVSLP (Device Sleep).

The official Sequential read/write performance figures for the 960GB drive are up to 520MB/s and 500MB/s respectively. Those read figures are the same across the range as are the write figure with the exception of the 120GB model where the write figure drops to 320MB/s.

Random 4K random read performance for the range is quoted as up to 79,000 IOPS with the 960GB drive rated as up to 45,000 IOPS for random writes. The 120GB gets a write figure of up to 18,000 IOPs, 240GB model up to 25,000 IOPs, 480GB up to 35,000 IOPS and the 1.92TB model is rated as up to 50,000 IOPS.

Endurance for the 960GB drive is quoted as Kingston as 480TB TBW and the drive is backed with a limited five-year warranty.

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/kingston-uv500-960gb-ssd-review/feed/0Falcon Project X VR Ready Gaming PC Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/mike-jennings/falcon-project-x-vr-ready-gaming-pc-review-w-ryzen-5-2600x-gtx-1060/
https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/mike-jennings/falcon-project-x-vr-ready-gaming-pc-review-w-ryzen-5-2600x-gtx-1060/#respondTue, 07 Aug 2018 08:36:42 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=378863The Falcon Project X VR Ready Gaming PC is a mid-range PC that attempts to provide ample gaming power inside a chassis that’s impressively compact – and for a price that undercuts most of its competition. We give you the full low-down on this system to let you know if it is worth buying.

This £1,150 rig serves up processing grunt from a second-generation AMD Ryzen chip, and it’s paired with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card plus solid memory and storage options. And, impressively, Falcon allows for loads of customisation on its website – so it’s easy to change the parts if they don’t take your fancy.

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/mike-jennings/falcon-project-x-vr-ready-gaming-pc-review-w-ryzen-5-2600x-gtx-1060/feed/0Xtrfy H1 Pro Gaming Headset Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-reviews/silas-newman/xtrfy-h1-pro-gaming-headset-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-reviews/silas-newman/xtrfy-h1-pro-gaming-headset-review/#respondMon, 06 Aug 2018 10:37:02 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=380349Working in collaboration with Ninjas in Pyjamas, Xtrfy brings their H1 Pro gaming headset to the table that has been “Optimized for gaming”. It’s really cool to see pros developing products that work best for them but with an initial release price of £149.99,you would expect more varied use than just esports gaming.

The H1 is currently on offer from Overclockers UK for 99.95 inc. VAT HERE, down from the usual £119.99 price.

KitGuru says: The H1 Pro headset does live up to Xtrfy’s claims and work very well in a competitive gaming environment. The attention to detail and plethora of adapter cables have the H1 Pro feeling very premium, and although the audio quality is a little lacking in the mid range they do meet gaming requirements well.

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-reviews/silas-newman/xtrfy-h1-pro-gaming-headset-review/feed/0ASRock Fatal1ty X470 Gaming-ITX/ac Motherboard Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/ryan-martin/asrock-fatal1ty-x470-gaming-itx-ac-motherboard-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/ryan-martin/asrock-fatal1ty-x470-gaming-itx-ac-motherboard-review/#respondFri, 03 Aug 2018 10:06:45 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=380850The mini-ITX motherboard market was long dominated by Intel due to the company’s indisputable advantage in CPU power efficiency, an essential characteristic for small form factors. That was until AMD introduced its game-changing Zen CPU architecture in early 2017 and now, with Zen in the second generation, AMD mini-ITX solutions are as competitive as ever. ASRock is the ideal motherboard manufacturer to capitalise on this recent trend with its new Fatal1ty X470 Gaming-ITX/ac, having established itself as a pioneer of mini-ITX solutions.

As with most X470 motherboards ASRock’s Fatal1ty X470 Gaming-ITX/ac is similar to the preceding X370 version, but with a number of subtle variations and improvements including a more neutral colour scheme, USB 3.1 connectivity and an improved integrated WiFi module. ASRock has long been moving away from its vibrant colour schemes, specifically red for its Fatal1ty products, and its new X470 ITX solution further cements the company’s trajectory.

Given that AMD’s AM4 platform currently supports up to eight-core CPUs, such as the Ryzen 7 2700(X), 1800X and 1700(X), AM4 mini-ITX solutions are more computationally capable than Intel Z370 equivalents where the current best performing CPU is the six-core Core i7 8700K, even if Intel’s i7 often comes out victorious in real-world gaming benchmarks.

For prospective buyers with more serious CPU requirements for a compact design, ASRock’s own X299E-ITX/ac motherboard offers a novel solution for fitting up to 18-cores of Skylake-X power into a mini-ITX form factor – but this comes with its own set of limitations and is hardly a mainstream solution.

To the budget conscious buyer an AMD Ryzen 7 2700X and ASRock Fatal1ty X470 Gaming-ITX/ac is more affordable than an Intel Core i7 8700K with a mini-ITX motherboard of equivalent stature, such as the ASRock Fatal1ty Z370 Gaming-ITX/ac.

So does the ASRock Fatal1ty X470 Gaming-ITX/ac make an ideal foundation for a Ryzen 7 CPU? Let’s find out more in the KitGuru testing and analysis.

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/ryan-martin/asrock-fatal1ty-x470-gaming-itx-ac-motherboard-review/feed/0QNAP TS-328 3-bay NAS Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/qnap-ts-328-3-bay-nas-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/qnap-ts-328-3-bay-nas-review/#respondThu, 02 Aug 2018 12:32:43 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=379915Sitting in their Home/SOHO product lineup, the TS-328 is QNAP’s first 3-bay NAS and has been designed to offer the data protection of RAID 5 using the fewest disks possible to the entry level market space.

The QNAP TS-328 neatly fills the gap between low cost entry level 2-bay NAS which can only protect data with a RAID 1 array and more costly 4-bay solutions providing the better data protection and performance of a RAID 5 array. It can do this as the three drives it supports happens to be the least number of drives you need to build a RAID 5 array.

Powered by a Realtek RTD1296 quad-core 1.4 GHz processor the TS-328 comes with 2GB of DDR4 memory and if you feel the need to add more unfortunately you’re out of luck as memory isn’t expandable. The TS-328 comes with two Gigabit Ethernet Ports which support Link Aggregation, two USB 3.0 Type-A ports and a single USB 2.0 port

The Realtek RTD1296 is a slightly higher spec than the Realtek RTD1295 powering the TS-228A, which we reviewed recently HERE. The RTD1296 brings support for two Gigabit Ethernet ports, an additional USB3.0 port and an additional SATA port. The processor brings with it both hardware encryption and transcoding engines and the latter allows for real-time transcoding of 4K Ultra HD (10-bit H.265 (HEVC), MPEG-4 Part 2, MPEG-2, VC-1) at a maximum resolution for 4K of 4096 x 2160 and at a maximum frame rate of 30fps.

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/qnap-ts-328-3-bay-nas-review/feed/0Antec DF500 RGB Review – nice RGB shame about the casehttps://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/antec-df500-rgb-review-nice-rgb-shame-about-the-case/
https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/antec-df500-rgb-review-nice-rgb-shame-about-the-case/#respondWed, 01 Aug 2018 08:58:50 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=380042Antec DF500 RGB is a budget PC case that comes with three 120mm RGB fans at the front and a tempered glass panel that shows off the interior of the build. Those are two key features for any case manufacturer that wants to grab the attention of the buying public. Wrap up the package with a reasonably low price and it may well seem at first glance that you have a winner of a product. Let us take a deeper look however.

Watch the video via our VIMEO Channel (Below) or over on YouTube at 2160p HERE

Note: if the above images are not displaying properly, you may need to disable Ad Block as it is known to interfere with our display code

Building our test PC was a struggle in a number of areas. We detail these problems in our video and readily acknowledge that each individual issue looks fairly minor. There is no space below the motherboard, the cable management holes are tight, it is tricky to install the power supply, the number of cable anchor points is limited and the three fans lack PWM control. The two options for controlling the fans are to either find three separate fan headers on your motherboard or to use the constant power Y cable that is provided in the accessory pack. Both solutions are workable but neither is ideal and we would have been happier should Antec have provided a PWM hub. Better yet, the fans could have had PWM control and perhaps more LEDs in the hub to enhance the RGB experience, and wouldn’t it have been nice if they upgraded the RGB to Addressable RGB?

You can see our train of thought but no doubt you can also spot the problem with our reasoning. Each of those changes would improve the DF500 RGB and would also add to the cost, and at its heart the DF500 is a basic ATX case that ought to be very cheap. We doubt the plastic front panel would have added greatly to the bill of materials, so we have to think it is the three RGB fans that have pushed the price up to £75.

In stock configuration you control the lighting in the fans by toggling the button on the front panel through red, green, blue, orange, purple, neon green and white. This works exactly as you would expect and if you have never experienced RGB before we imagine you will be happy. On the other hand if you know something about RGB you will want to daisy chain the cables together and connect them to your motherboard, just as we did with the Asus Prime X299-A, and then used Aura to control the lighting. The annoyance, as mentioned, is that most people will struggle to connect three front fans to their motherboard and will probably want to add a rear or top exhaust fan to complete the airflow equation.

As you will have seen in our video we installed a custom loop cooling system and found the interior of the case was tight for space. We had little trouble squeezing in the components, however the single biggest problem was the installation of the Seasonic power supply as there is barely enough room to slide it in from the side. The On/Off rocker switch next to the power plug almost defeated us so let us say once again, the DF500 RGB is incredibly tight for space.

Testing
To put this case through its cooling paces we will be using a test system consisting of an Intel Core i7-7820X, reference GTX 980 and an SSD. This system allows us to produce a substantial amount of heat and effectively test the Antec DF-500 RGB’s cooling capabilities.
For stress testing we use AIDA64 to create the maximum amount of load our CPU and GPU are ever likely to see.

Cooling Performance Overview
We tested the DF500 RGB on a warm summer’s day and the cooling was unimpressive for a custom loop, however it performed adequately so in that sense the DF500 RGB achieves a passing grade. It is clear the three front fans are struggling to draw in enough air at the front however ‘struggling’ is one heck of a sight better than ‘failing.’

Acoustics performance Overview
Despite a complete absence of sound deadening material and some of the thinnest materials we have seen in a PC case, the DF500 RGB did a decent job. We ran the fans relatively slowly at 800rpm and set the D5 pump to 40 percent so we expected low noise. On the other hand, if you increase fan speeds or ramp up your pump you will hear every extra decibel instantly.

Closing Thoughts

The Antec DF500 RGB clearly started life as a classic budget mid-tower ATX chassis with compact dimensions and thin materials that help keep the price nice and low. Adding the tempered glass side panel should have been quick and easy, and then they were faced with the task of adding RGB.

The chosen route employs three basic RGB fans that have been connected to a hub that is controlled by a dedicated button on the I/O panel. The system is tried and true and works well, and provided you have low expectation about cooling you may well be happy with this case.

On the other hand if you want to install a proper cooling system, whilst retaining the RGB fans, you will doubtless run into the problems that we faced. There is a fine line between cutting costs and going too far, and we simply find it unacceptable when you struggle to install a regular ATX power supply. It all comes down to the 200mm width of the case and the design choices that are forced after that point and we consider it frustrating to say the least.

It is clear that Antec could have chosen to use PWM fans with a PWM hub and this is a simple matter of cost and price, rather than a fundamental principle of the design. No doubt Antec felt they included sufficient cable anchor point and that the cable management holes would do the job. With each one of the many design choices we felt they should have provided more or made them larger or given us more space for working.

We are quite sure that Antec would tell us this would raise costs and that would defeat the object of the exercise which is a budget case with tempered glass and RGB. We agree with that line of thinking however the DF500 RGB isn’t especially cheap. Listed at £76 you can find it discounted to around £60 which is competitive for a case with these features.

The problem for us is that the features seem like a tick box exercise while the rest of the case is sub par. You can find a great many cases on sale for £60 or £70 that include glass and RGB however it is quite possible that Antec has the cheapest case with three RGB fans where, say, the Kolink Punisher only has two and if you want to step up to the Kolink Observatory with four RGB fans you have to spend £67.

The point here is not to argue about the merits of Antec versus Kolink (or whoever) but rather than to point out that if you slice the case market into tiny segments the DF500 RGB sits in a very specific niche with a tempered glass panel and three RGB fans.

Our problem is that pretty much everything else about the case ought to be improved.

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/components/leo-waldock/antec-df500-rgb-review-nice-rgb-shame-about-the-case/feed/0ASUS Lyra Trio AC1750 Mesh Wi-Fi System Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/james-morris/asus-lyra-trio-ac1750-mesh-wi-fi-system-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/james-morris/asus-lyra-trio-ac1750-mesh-wi-fi-system-review/#respondTue, 31 Jul 2018 14:53:57 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=380982Mesh networking was a fairly specialised concept a couple of years ago. But now products are arriving on a regular basis, and ASUS is even on its second range after the original Lyra that we reviewed last year. The Lyra Trio builds on the excellent capabilities of the original Lyra, but throws in a healthy dollop of style in a similar vein to the ASUS Blue Cave. However, the Trio is as different from the original Lyra under the hood as it is in appearance.

This is still a three-pack option, like the original Lyra. But the units have an arched top, with a light blue tinge underneath like the Blue Cave making them much more stylish in appearance. However, whilst this trio of arches might look aesthetic (in a sci-fi kind of way), they’re not just shaped like this for appearances only. The three legs of the arches actually contain the aerials for the 3×3 MIMO radio.

This is an upgrade on the original Lyra, which had a 2×2 antenna configuration. However, things are a bit more complicated than this, because whilst the Lyra is tri-band, the Lyra Trio is dual-band, offering AC1750 performance compared to the original Lyra’s AC2200. This sounds like a downgrade, but the individual 2.4GHz and 5GHz radios are both faster than the Lyra’s. You get 450Mbits/sec over 2.4GHz and 1,300MHz over 5GHz. So it’s all a bit “swings and roundabouts”.

We’re not really sure what effect this will have on performance, although usually dual-band mesh systems don’t fare so well as tri-band offerings with a dedicated backhaul, such as the NETGEAR Orbi. But ASUS is still claiming a 5,400 square foot coverage for a three-unit Lyra Trio setup, which is not far off what NETGEAR claims for the three-pack RBK50. Only our real-world testing will be able to answer whether the claim is true.

The ASUS Lyra Trio is not hideously expensive for a mesh WiFi system either, with a current street price of £269.99 at the time of writing, about £80 less than the original Lyra. If performance is anything like the latter, the Trio could be a bit of a bargain. Let’s take a closer look.

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/james-morris/asus-lyra-trio-ac1750-mesh-wi-fi-system-review/feed/0Acer ED273 27in Monitor Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/james-morris/acer-ed273-27in-monitor-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/james-morris/acer-ed273-27in-monitor-review/#respondMon, 30 Jul 2018 13:40:50 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=378375Curved screens used to cost a considerable amount of money, so it’s surprising to see Acer’s ED273 deliver its curvature in 27in form for around £170. Lots of 27in screens are more expensive than this even without the curve – so this is already a potential bargain.

This isn’t a member of the Predator gaming range, however. It has a few benefits for that type of user, but it’s not specifically aimed at gamers. The 27in diagonal is home to a Full HD VA panel, rather than the 2,560 x 1,440 resolution that is frequently found at this screen size. The VA technology generally provides great contrast, but has other drawbacks.

In particular, the response is just 4ms grey-to-grey, although this is normal for VA and IPS panels, with only TN usually being faster. Acer itself claims an immense 100,000,000:1 contrast, but this will be with dynamic contrast enabled, and we’ve seen a more believable 3,000:1 mentioned by unofficial sources. The brightness level is a fairly minimal 250cd/m2.

The screen curve is a relatively deep 1800R, meaning that if you created a full circle it would have a radius of 1800mm. Samsung uses the same curve, but many screens use a wider circle such as 2100R that is allegedly less immersive. There is FreeSync adaptive refresh support, but as the highest rate is just 60Hz, this is only of limited use.

The ED273 sports a rather retro range of inputs. Although there is HDMI, it’s only version 1.4, and otherwise you only get DVI-D Dual-Link and VGA. There are also built-in 3W speakers with accompanying analog minijack input and output, but no USB hub. So apart from the curviness, this is a pretty standard screen. The price is the main surprise. Let’s find out if this is a shapely bargain or a bulbous false economy.

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/james-morris/acer-ed273-27in-monitor-review/feed/0QNAP TVS-1282-i7-64G 12-bay NAS Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/qnap-tvs-1282-i7-64g-12-bay-nas-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/qnap-tvs-1282-i7-64g-12-bay-nas-review/#respondFri, 27 Jul 2018 06:57:18 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=378349QNAP’s TVS-1282 is the flagship 12-bay model of the TVS-x82 high-performance NAS range aimed at SMBs. The TVS-x82 series has been designed to support Tiered Storage, Network Traffic Distribution and Application based Partitioning among others. Powered by an Intel Core i7-7700 quad-core CPU, the TVS-1282 comes with three PCIe Gen 3 expansion slots to boot.

The TVS-x82 family is made up of the TVS-1282 12-bay (8x 3.5in, 4x 2.5in), TVS-882 8-bay (6 x 3.5in, 2 x2.5in) and the 6-bay TVS-682 (4 x 3.5in, 2 x 2.5in). Within each of these model lines there are CPU and memory options to choose from.

The flagship TVS-1282 (in terms of CPU and memory) is the one QNAP kindly supplied for review, the TVS-1282-i7-64G. This is powered by an Intel Core i7-7700 quad-core CPU clocked at 3.6GHz and backed by 64GB of DDR4-2133MHz memory, the maximum amount the motherboard supports. Keeping with the i7 CPU but with only 32GB of memory as standard is the TVS-1282-i7-32G. Next model down the food chain is the TVS-1282-i5-16G, powered by an Intel Core i5-7500 3.4GHz quad-core CPU with 16GB of memory and finally, there is the entry-level unit, the TVS-1282-i3-8G powered by an Intel Core i3-7100, 3.9GHz CPU and 8GB of memory.

But that’s not the end of the choices as the TVS-1282-i7-64G, TVS-1282-i7-32G and TVS-1282-i5-16G models are also available with a larger power supply option, 450W instead of the standard 250W one (FSP 250-60PLC). These models are labelled TVS-1282-i7-64G-450W, TVS-1282-i7-32G-450W and the TVS-1282-i5-16G-450W.

The TVS-1282’s feature list is mightily impressive. There are three, yep three PCIe Gen 3 slots, a single x8 and a pair of x4 which support various add-in cards such as QNAP’s QM2 cards, 10GbE networking and 12G SAS expansion cards. It even supports a dedicated graphics card. Both AMD and Nvidia cards are supported; there’s a compatibility list on QNAP’s website, and bear in mind that some cards will require that 450W PSU option.

Along with the eight 3.5in and four 2.5in drive bays there are a pair of integrated M.2 SATA slots supporting 2242, 2260, 2280, and 22110 form factor SSDs for caching duties should that be needed. You also get four Gigabit Ethernet ports and three HDMI ports.

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/qnap-tvs-1282-i7-64g-12-bay-nas-review/feed/0ASUS ROG Strix X470-F Gaming Motherboard Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/ryan-martin/asus-rog-strix-x470-f-gaming-motherboard-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/ryan-martin/asus-rog-strix-x470-f-gaming-motherboard-review/#respondThu, 26 Jul 2018 08:31:51 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=380355The introduction of AMD’s X470 chipset was an unspectacular affair, bringing only a handful of incremental improvements over the preceding X370 chipset. X470 motherboards reflect this trend too with manufacturers, like ASUS with its ROG Strix X470-F Gaming, using X470 as a justification to refresh existing X370 motherboards with some of the latest features and design innovations that have developed since.

The similarities between the ASUS ROG Strix X470-F and X370-F Gaming motherboards in terms of design and specification are numerous while the differences are few and far between. The ASUS X470-F is certainly not aimed at existing X370 motherboard owners, but those not yet using AMD’s AM4 platform and looking for a route in.

The ASUS ROG Strix X470-F Gaming sits somewhere in the blurry middle of the ASUS stack for AMD’s X470 chipset, but is best labelled “upper mid-range”. The specification is ample for the a demanding home user, gamer or prosumer.

As a motherboard positioned primarily for gamers ASUS has fitted onboard RGB lighting as well as three optional RGB headers for different types of LED strips. There’s also dual M.2 available, one slot which is cooled by the integrated heatsink, reinforced PCIe slots and an improved audio solution based on Realtek ALC1220 with two operational amplifiers.

Undoubtedly there are enough features to pique the interest of the fussy DIY builder or gamer while for overclockers ASUS hopes the bolstered VRM and onboard debug LEDs will suffice.

Let’s see how the ASUS ROG Strix X470-F Gaming holds up under KitGuru’s testing and analysis.

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/ryan-martin/asus-rog-strix-x470-f-gaming-motherboard-review/feed/0Iiyama Red Eagle G-MASTER GB2560HSU 24.5in 144Hz Monitor Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/james-morris/iiyama-red-eagle-g-master-gb2560hsu-24-5in-144hz-monitor-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/james-morris/iiyama-red-eagle-g-master-gb2560hsu-24-5in-144hz-monitor-review/#respondWed, 25 Jul 2018 11:02:48 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=379076Iiyama has traditionally been a manufacturer associated with the high end and professional markets. But more recently the company has also developed a sizeable portfolio of gaming screens. The Red Eagle G-MASTER GB2560HSU is still a relatively premium option in terms of features, offering 144Hz and adaptive sync, but it costs a reasonable £220 for a 24.5in Full HD panel.

Unlike some manufacturers targeting the higher end of the gaming market, Iiyama has stuck with TN panel technology. This provides the fastest 1ms pixel response rate, which is optimal for this type of user, albeit usually at the expense of colour fidelity and contrast compared to IPS and VA respectively.

Nevertheless, the brightness specification is high at 400cd/m2, although contrast is the usual 1,000:1 rating found with TN panels. The adaptive sync technology used is AMD’s FreeSync rather than NVIDIA’s G-Sync, the latter being more expensive to implement. So you’ll be confined to Radeon graphics if you want to take advantage of this capability.

Inputs include an adequate pair of digital-only options – HDMI and DisplayPort. There are no legacy video connections available. As a result, no analog minijack audio input is included, just output. There are also stereo 2W speakers available, but more for convenience as a gamer is probably going to plug headphones into the minijack. A USB hub is included, too, but clearly only aimed at making attachment of keyboard and mouse. It only has two ports, and only supports USB 2.0.

There’s a solid range of physical adjustment available, including tilt, swivel, and raising, plus portrait mode. So you can get this screen into exactly the position you want. Build quality is solid and the design has a frameless bezel top and sides. So the GB2560HSU is promising on paper. But how does it stack up in the real world?

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/james-morris/iiyama-red-eagle-g-master-gb2560hsu-24-5in-144hz-monitor-review/feed/0Edifier S70DB SoundBar and Subwoofer Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-reviews/silas-newman/edifier-s70db-soundbar-and-subwoofer-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-reviews/silas-newman/edifier-s70db-soundbar-and-subwoofer-review/#respondTue, 24 Jul 2018 08:40:41 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=380332In most instances, TV manufacturers focus primarily on the viewing experience, and audio quality can be left as a bit of an afterthought.Edifier intends to improve on your TV listening experience with the S70DB SoundBar and Subwoofer combo featuring four 70mm aluminium mid-range bass amplifiers, two 19mm titanium film dome tweeters and an 8-inch sub. The S70DB is also equipped with Bluetooth V4.1 technology, which offers flexibility for connecting portable devices suggesting the S70DB might even replace your living room stereo as well.The S70DB boasts some excellent specs but does it live up to its £449.99 price?

KitGuru says: The Edifier S70DB offers a great audio experience, significantly improving on factory TV speaker setups and the inclusion of subwoofer makes the viewing experience really immersive. The inclusion of Bluetooth is nice to see, but the lack of manual EQ control is a bit of a missed opportunity. The Edifier S70DB is certainly an enthusiast class of product, with a price to match but for those looking to dramatically improve their TV audio, it’s definitely worth considering.

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-reviews/silas-newman/edifier-s70db-soundbar-and-subwoofer-review/feed/0Philips 328E8QJAB5 31.5in FreeSync CURVED Monitor (£230)https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/mike-jennings/philips-328e8qjab5-31-5in-freesync-curved-monitor-230/
https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/mike-jennings/philips-328e8qjab5-31-5in-freesync-curved-monitor-230/#respondMon, 23 Jul 2018 07:36:55 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=380192The Philips 328E8QJAB5 is a monitor that serves up a tempting design for a surprising price. The £230 cost undercuts most of its rivals – and, for that money, you still get a 31.5in curved panel with AMD FreeSync.

It’s a lot of monitor for a little cash, though, so we’re a little worried that Philips has cut too many corners to deliver the cheapest curved monitor we’ve seen for some time.

Specifications:

Screen size: 31.5in

Native resolution: 1,920 x 1,080

Bit colour depth: 8-bit

Refresh rate: 60Hz

Panel type: VA

Contrast ratio (typical): 3000:1

Brightness (cd/m2): 250

Response time (ms): 5ms

Display inputs: HDMI, DisplayPort, D-SUB

Audio inputs: PC audio in, headphone out

Speakers: 2 x 3W

USB hub: no

Tilt: yes

Height: no

Swivel: no

Pivot: no

VESA mount: no

Power (plug type, internal/external): Clover, External

Cables provided: Audio, power, HDMI, D-SUB

Depth on desk: 223mm

Weight: 7.2kg

Price (retail): £230

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/mike-jennings/philips-328e8qjab5-31-5in-freesync-curved-monitor-230/feed/0Sapphire INCA CS-14 Compute System Review – £5.5K Mining Righttps://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-reviews/james-morris/sapphire-inca-cs-14-compute-system-review-5-5k-mining-rig/
https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-reviews/james-morris/sapphire-inca-cs-14-compute-system-review-5-5k-mining-rig/#respondFri, 20 Jul 2018 07:46:56 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=379672The furore surrounding Bitcoin from the end of 2017 may have subsided along with the value of cryptocurrency in general, but the repercussions are still being felt. GPU prices have risen as a result of demand, although there are signs of this softening. There is still potentially money to be made from mining, despite the price of a Bitcoin being nowhere near its $19,783.21 peak, if you have cheap power and optimised hardware. Graphics supremo Sapphire aims to provide this with its new INCA CS-14 Compute System.

We discussed how you can get started with cryptocurrency mining a few months ago, but the INCA is aimed at a much more serious user. It doesn’t look that exciting, because it’s a 4U 19in rackmount chassis. In theory, you can install eight of them in a full rack. But inside it gets much more interesting – you can fit up to 14 GPUs using special dual-GPU cards. These can be either the 4GB or the 8GB versions of the AMD Radeon RX470, and we were sent seven of the latter. These are managed by an embedded AMD System-on-Chip, running Ubuntu Linux and with the Claymore mining software preloaded.

To support all seven of the PCI Express x16 slots (which actually operate in x1 mode on this rig), the onboard Gigabit Ethernet is disabled, so a USB-based Ethernet adapter is also included to provide the network functionality. With all those GPUs, the power draw is immense. To handle this, two PSUs are installed, with room for a third to provide load sharing and active redundancy.

The result is a machine capable of huge amounts of GPU-powered processing, with Sapphire claiming more than 400MH/s of ETH hashing power. This could theoretically bring in around £270 a month even at today’s prices, although how much of this you keep depends on the cost of your power. So let’s take a closer look at the INCA CS-14 to see whether it really is a cryptocurrency goldmine, or more of a money pit.

System Configuration:

19in 4U rackmount chassis

AMD Embedded G-Series FP4 SoC

4GB DDR4 SDRAM

128GB M.2 SSD

7 x Dual AMD Radeon RX470 with 8GB GDDR5 each GPU

2 x 1,600W Seasonic S1M-162CGP2 power supplies

Option for third power supply

Ubuntu Linux with Claymore mining client preloaded

Price for this system (at the time of writing): £5,400 (inc. VAT) and for inquiries contact sales@sapphiretech.com

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-reviews/james-morris/sapphire-inca-cs-14-compute-system-review-5-5k-mining-rig/feed/0PC Specialist Recoil II (i7-8750H & GTX 1060) Laptop Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/dominic-moass/pc-specialist-recoil-ii-i7-8750h-gtx-1060-laptop-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/dominic-moass/pc-specialist-recoil-ii-i7-8750h-gtx-1060-laptop-review/#respondThu, 19 Jul 2018 09:42:04 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=379366The PC Specialist Recoil II is the latest laptop to come through our labs sporting an Intel 8th Gen mobile processor. We have already seen the likes of the Gigabyte Aero 15X, the MSI GS65 and the Cyberpower Tracer III – so we have plenty of opportunity to make comparisons. Priced at just £1149, however, the Recoil II is the cheapest laptop we have seen to-date that sports the hexa-core i7-8750H. Is it money well spent, or have too many corners been cut?

On a hardware level, the PC Specialist Recoil II is almost identical to the Cyberpower Tracer III we reviewed in June. That means it has the latest i7-8750H processor (which is not overclockable) as well as a GTX 1060 6GB graphics chip – which, it is worth saying, is not the slower Max-Q version, but the ‘full-fat’ GTX 1060. Alongside this we have 16GB of DDR4 memory rated at 2133MHz, although the Tracer III machine did use slightly faster 2400MHz memory.

Unlike the Aero 15X or GS65 Stealth, however, the Recoil II ‘only’ has a 1080p 60Hz display – the Gigabyte and MSI machines both sport 144Hz refresh-rate panels. While this does mean your gaming experience won’t be as silky with the Recoil II, you do save several hundred pounds – this machine is priced at £1149, whereas the MSI machine costs £1900.

Still, for that money you get a very well-built laptop. The Recoil II has a lovely brushed aluminium lid, and the inside of the laptop is also made from aluminium. While this makes the machine feel very sturdy, it is still impressively light at just over 2.1KG. Considering it is also 19.9mm thick (excluding the rubber feet), the end result is a sleek and very portable laptop.

It is also worth noting the impressively thin bezels that surround the 15.6in display. My measurements put the side bezels at less than 5mm thick, while the bezel on the top edge (which also houses a 1MP webcam) is only slightly thicker at around 9mm. Looking back to the Tracer III, this PC Specialist machine does make it look quite dated in comparison.

Thus, while the internal components of the Recoil II and Tracer III are essentially the same, you are getting a thinner, lighter and more refined packaged with the PC Specialist laptop. Before we get too carried away, however, we will have to see just how the laptop performs in the real world.

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/dominic-moass/pc-specialist-recoil-ii-i7-8750h-gtx-1060-laptop-review/feed/0Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ 27in 4K/144Hz HDR Monitor Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/edward-chester/asus-rog-swift-pg27uq-27in-4k-144hz-hdr-monitor-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/edward-chester/asus-rog-swift-pg27uq-27in-4k-144hz-hdr-monitor-review/#respondTue, 17 Jul 2018 09:10:37 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=378710The Asus PG27UQ surely has to be one of the most anticipated gaming products in recent history. First unveiled a year and a half ago, this is the first monitor to offer not just a 4K resolution and 144Hz refresh rate, but true HDR with a full array local dimming backlight as well.

On paper it’s the ultimate 27-inch gaming monitor that should provide stunning image quality and competitive gaming performance. The downside? Well, aside from it having been delayed for so long, there’s the fact it costs an eye-watering £2229.

Whichever way you look at it, that’s a somewhat ludicrous figure for a 27-inch gaming monitor, no matter how good it is. But, such is the level of technology here that it’s not totally unreasonable either.

The secret to unlocking such a fast frame rate for such a high resolution is not just the use of the latest LCD panels but also the arrival of the DisplayPort 1.4 standard. While graphics cards have supported this for a while (your card may need a firmware update), monitors haven’t, so this marks the arrival of a new breed.

As for the HDR side of things, high dynamic range is all about two enhancements to existing image presentation. Whereas normal video/game/image content is generally mastered for use in the sRGB colour space, using an 8-bit colour depth, and with a reference contrast of 1000:1, HDR ups the ante on all of these figures.

The HDR10 standard, which is fast becoming the main reference point for most things HDR, requires displays to handle 10-bit colour and to cover over 90% of the larger DCI-P3 colour space as well as have displays be capable of producing a 10,000:1 contrast ratio. All of which the PG27UQ is able to meet.

This should result in far richer, more vivid and realistic looking images. The proof of the pudding is in the testing, though, so lets dive in to see if can deliver.

Specifications:

Screen size: 27-inch, 16:9 aspect

Native resolution: 3,840 x 2,160

Refresh rate: 144Hz

Panel type: IPS

Contrast ratio: 1,000:1 native, 10,000:1 HDR

Brightness: 300cd/m2, 1000cd/m2 HDR

Response time: 4ms grey-to-grey

Display inputs: DisplayPort, HDMI

USB hub: USB 3.0, two ports

Tilt: Yes

Raise: Yes

Swivel: Yes

Pivot: Yes

VESA: Yes

Warranty: 3 years

Retail Price: £2229 (inc. VAT)

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/edward-chester/asus-rog-swift-pg27uq-27in-4k-144hz-hdr-monitor-review/feed/0MSI Z370 PC Pro Motherboard Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/ryan-martin/msi-z370-pc-pro-motherboard-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/ryan-martin/msi-z370-pc-pro-motherboard-review/#respondMon, 16 Jul 2018 08:47:29 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=378000As a general rule the Intel B360 and H370 chipsets offer a more affordable route into Intel’s 8th Generation “Coffee Lake” CPUs, than the Z370 chipset. However, there are a number of Z370 motherboard options that are as affordable, if not cheaper, than many B360 or H370 models. MSI manufactures a number of those low-cost Z370 options including the Z370 PC Pro.

The MSI Z370 PC Pro is a price-sensitive product, meaning its unique selling point in a marketplace full of expensive gaming options is its low price (£110/$120). However, It should still be noted that there are number of Z370 motherboards that are more affordable. MSI, for instance, produces the Z370A-Pro (£90/$100) and Z370 Tomahawk (£100/$110) while rival motherboard vendors produce models such as the ASUS Prime Z370-P (£110/$120), ASRock Z370 Pro4 (£95/$100) and Gigabyte Z370P D3 (£90/$105).

Price need not comprise the entire narrative as it is one thing to produce a low-cost Z370 motherboard, but another to produce one that’s still worthy of purchasing. While consumers appreciate a lower price point, the trade-offs that are made to bring that price down are crucial and should inform the buying decision.

The type of decisions MSI has made to keep retail pricing down include a fairly basic CPU VRM implementation, a decade-old audio codec, no official SLI support and trimming back on “nice to haves” such as power and reset buttons, M.2 cooling or a front panel USB 3.1 connection.

That said, MSI has still managed to include features like dual M.2, onboard RGB lighting, USB 3.1, Intel Gigabit LAN and a sleek-looking matte-black design. Let’s see how MSI’s Z370 PC Pro holds up under KitGuru’s testing and analysis.

MSI Z370 PC Pro

Form Factor

ATX, 30.4cm x 24.3cm

CPU Socket

Intel LGA 1151 Version 2

Chipset

Intel Z370

Memory

DDR4, 4 DIMMs up to 64GB, up to 4000MHz+ with OC

On-board Graphics

Intel HD Graphics (supported CPUs)

Discrete Graphics

Single Nvidia graphics card configurations, up to AMD 2-way CrossFireX or Quad CrossFire

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/ryan-martin/msi-z370-pc-pro-motherboard-review/feed/0Gigabyte Aorus H5 Gaming Headset Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-reviews/briony-hannam/gigabyte-aorus-h5-gaming-headset-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-reviews/briony-hannam/gigabyte-aorus-h5-gaming-headset-review/#respondFri, 13 Jul 2018 11:35:35 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=378897Gigabyte Aorus is a familiar name when it comes to motherboards and graphics cards, but not necessarily for peripherals. Back in May we took a look at the M3 mouse and K7 keyboard which proved to be quite impressive considering the reasonable pricing. In this review today, we assess the matching Aorus H5 headset and see if it can score just as highly when it comes to the price to performance ratio.

KitGuru says: The Aorus H5 headset has some good features and is comfortable to wear but we’re not sure it’s worth the £60 price tag. However, we do think it is a good budget headset to pick up if you can find it at the right price.

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-tech-reviews/briony-hannam/gigabyte-aorus-h5-gaming-headset-review/feed/0Antec HCG Extreme Series 1000W PSU Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/components/power-supplies/zardon/antec-hcg-extreme-series-1000w-psu-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/components/power-supplies/zardon/antec-hcg-extreme-series-1000w-psu-review/#respondWed, 11 Jul 2018 10:48:41 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=379133Today we take a look at one of the latest power supplies from Antec’s new ‘High Current Gamer Extreme Series’. There are two models in this specific range, and Antec sent us their flagship 1000W model to analyse (there is also an 850W in this range). This power supply is certified 80 PLUS GOLD and is a pure modular design with a 10 year warranty. Price is set around the £190 mark in the United Kingdom.

Antec power supplies have proven to be a bit hit and miss for me over the years. As they don’t actually make any of their designs, the OEM’s they team up with can vary in regards to quality (some of their units are made by Andyson, a truly dreadful OEM partner for instance).

Thankfully we already know this HCG Extreme Series unit is created in partnership with market leader Seasonic, so we are fairly confident it will deliver high quality power in our tests later in the review. At least we know for sure that the capacitors will be 100% Japanese throughout.

Review photography handled in house at KitGuru with a Leica S series medium format camera and S series prime lens. Please do not use any of the images within this review without express permission.

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/components/power-supplies/zardon/antec-hcg-extreme-series-1000w-psu-review/feed/0Cyberpower Hyper Liquid GTX Custom Watercooled PChttps://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/gaming-rig/briony-hannam/cyberpower-hyper-liquid-gtx-custom-watercooled-pc/
https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/gaming-rig/briony-hannam/cyberpower-hyper-liquid-gtx-custom-watercooled-pc/#respondMon, 09 Jul 2018 08:22:10 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=377389The Cyberpower Hyper Liquid GTX is a top of the range PC with plenty of power for gaming, video editing and beyond. With some of 2018’s most coveted components alongside a custom watercooled loop and plenty of RGB lighting, it sounds like every PC enthusiasts’ wet dream. But is this PC as good as it sounds? In this review we put it through its paces to find out if this £2649 monster pre-built is worth the investment.

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/gaming-rig/briony-hannam/cyberpower-hyper-liquid-gtx-custom-watercooled-pc/feed/0ASRock Phantom Gaming X RX 580 Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/dominic-moass/asrock-phantom-gaming-x-rx-580-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/dominic-moass/asrock-phantom-gaming-x-rx-580-review/#respondFri, 06 Jul 2018 12:30:43 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=377898It has felt like an age since KitGuru last reviewed a graphics card. While we don’t yet have a new GPU architecture to look at, we do have a new manufacturer in the graphics card market – ASRock. The company built its name making motherboards, and has now turned its hand to graphics cards. Is the Phantom Gaming X a good start for the Taiwanese manufacturer, or is it too little too late?

For its first foray in the graphics card market, ASRock is playing it relatively safe with the Phantom Gaming X RX 580. This is made clear in two main ways. For one, the card is going to be relatively cheap for a RX 580. We have been told to expect pricing at 329 Euros, which puts it at around £290 here in the UK. While we do not yet have a confirmed UK retailer listing, this would make it one of the cheapest RX 580 cards currently available.

Secondly, the card lacks a number of features we would expect from a high-end model. For instance, there is no backplate, RGB lighting, dual-BIOS, additional fan headers, or other supplementary features we have seen on other cards. This is very much a ‘back to basics’ graphics card, in the sense that you just plug it in and you can be be off playing games with nothing else to think about.

GPU

AMD RX 480

AMD RX 580

AMD RX 470

AMD RX 570

AMD R9 390

Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti

Nvidia GTX 1060

Streaming Multiprocessors / Compute Units

36

36

32

32

40

6

10

GPU Cores

2304

2304

2048

2048

2560

768

1280

Texture Units

144

144

128

128

160

48

80

ROPs

32

32

32

32

64

32

48

Base Clock

1120 MHz

1257 MHz

926 MHz

1168 MHz

Up to 1000MHz

1290 MHz

1506 MHz

GPU Boost Clock

1266 MHz

1340 MHz

1206 MHz

1244 MHz

Up to 1000MHz

1392 MHz

1708 MHz

Total Video memory

4096 or 8192 MB

4096 or 8192 MB

4096 or 8192 MB

4096 MB

8192 MB

4096 MB

6144 MB

Memory Clock (Effective)

1750 (7000) or 2000 (8000) MHz

2000 (8000) MHz

1650 (6600) MHz

1750 (7000) MHz

1500 (6000) MHz

1752 (7008) MHz

2002 (8008) MHz

Memory Bandwidth

224 or 256 GB/s

256 GB/s

211 GB/s

224 GB/s

384 GB/s

112 GB/s

192 GB/s

Bus Width

256-bit

256-bit

256-bit

256-bit

512-bit

128-bit

192-bit

Manufacturing Process

14nm

14nm

14nm

14nm

28nm

16nm

16nm

TDP

150 W

185 W

120 W

150 W

275 W

75W

120 W

Out of the box, this ASRock RX 580 runs at a stock speed of 1380MHz, which is 40MHz faster than reference RX 580 speeds. Our GPU screenshot shows the clock speed to be 1408MHz, however, as that is with the ‘OC Mode’ enabled using ASRock’s Phantom Gaming Tweak software.

Elsewhere, the card has 8GB of GDDR5 memory operating at 2000MHz, 8Gbps effective. With the 256 bit bus, this equates to total memory bandwidth of 256.5 (or 256) GB/s.

The rest of the GPU spec is identical to that of the original RX 480 – both have 36 compute units, 144 texture units and 32 ROPs, and both are built on a 14nm process. The TDP of this ASRock card is rated at 185W.

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/dominic-moass/asrock-phantom-gaming-x-rx-580-review/feed/0GeChic On-Lap 1305H Portable Monitor Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/silas-newman/gechic-on-lap-1305h-portable-monitor-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/silas-newman/gechic-on-lap-1305h-portable-monitor-review/#respondThu, 05 Jul 2018 11:13:13 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=377625If you miss the benefits of your multi-monitor desktop when travelling, then a portable monitor could be the perfect companion to your laptop. With a variety of products available designed to offer similar functionality and a high level of portability, GeChic brings the On-Lap 1305H monitor to the table. The panel itself looks very good on paper, but the connectivity does appear to be quite basic thanks to the standard HDMI and USB connectors. With most modern laptops leaning toward the USB Type-C/Thunderbolt interface, has the On-Lap 1305H arrived too late or does it still hold some promise for daily usability?

KitGuru says: At the end of the day, the GeChic On-Lap 1305H does what a lot of portable monitors do – it acts as a second screen for your laptop. But where it differs is in its seemingly archaic connections, when compared to other USB Type-C monitors available today. The standard USB and full-size HDMI connectors might seem clunky, but they allow you to use the On-Lap 1305H with a range of different devices.

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/silas-newman/gechic-on-lap-1305h-portable-monitor-review/feed/0QNAP TS-228A 2-bay NAS Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/qnap-ts-228a-2-bay-nas-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/qnap-ts-228a-2-bay-nas-review/#respondWed, 04 Jul 2018 09:06:24 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=375670Recently we’ve looked at a number of QNAP NAS units aimed primarily at the SMB end of the market. This time we take a look at a unit at the other end of the spectrum – the entry-level, two bay TS-228A aimed at home users.

The TS-228A is an update to the previous TS-228 with a faster & more capable processor and more modern memory. The TS-288 used a 32-bit 1.1GHz dual cored Realtek RTD1195PN CPU with 1GB of DDR3 memory, whereas the TS-228A uses a Realtek RTD1295 which is a 64-bit quad core CPU clocked at 1.4GHz. The amount of memory in the TS-228A is the same as the previous drive, 1GB, but is now DDR4-2133.

Physical Specifications

Processor: Realtek RTD1295 1.4GHz

Memory: 1GB DDR4 2133MHz

Gigabit Ethernet Ports: 1

Rear panel connectors: 2 x USB 2.0

Front panel connectors: 1 x USB 3.1 Gen1

RAID support: 0 & 1

Cooling: Active 1 x 60mm blower fan

Drive Bays Supported: 2

Maximum hard drive size supported: 12TB

Maximum Capacity: 24TB

Internal File System support: EXT4

Dimensions (D x W x H): 125 x 90 x 188mm.

Weight: 1.88kg.

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/professional/networking/simon-crisp/qnap-ts-228a-2-bay-nas-review/feed/0ASUS ProArt PA32UC 32in Monitor Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/james-morris/asus-proart-pa32uc-32in-monitor-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/james-morris/asus-proart-pa32uc-32in-monitor-review/#respondTue, 03 Jul 2018 08:37:37 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=376775You can pick up a reasonable monitor for under £100 these days. But what if you have more like two thousand to spend? This is the princely sum you will need to part with in order to buy the ASUS ProArt PA32UC. In reality, this screen is in a different league to our usual gaming-oriented monitors – a much more professional league, where people earn a living from creating graphics perfection, so they need a near-perfect screen on which to do so.

The PA32UC isn’t the largest screen we’ve seen by any means. In fact, at 32in diagonal, it’s only slightly on the large side by today’s standards. It does boast 4K resolution (3,840 x 2,160) and uses a premium IPS panel, although even then W have seen higher resolutions, in particular the Philips Brilliance 275P4VYKEB 5K monitor.

Where this panel is top of the league is in the range of key professional colour spaces it supports. Forget mere sRGB and Adobe RGB. For the former, the PA32UC displays 100 per cent of course, and 99.5 per cent of Adobe RGB as well. But it can also display 85 per cent of Rec.2020 and “over 95 per cent” of DCI-P3. These are the latest colour gamuts used in the broadcast industry, so if you’re editing a Hollywood movie, or producing 3D content for one, this screen is potentially a candidate for your professional needs.

The other baseline specifications look a bit more pedestrian on paper. The PA32UC offers a typical 1,000:1 contrast, which is normal for an IPS panel, and 400cd/m2 brightness, which is decent but not the brightest we’ve seen. As with most IPS panels, the pixel response is a relatively leisurely 5ms, but this isn’t a gaming screen so that’s not a major issue.

You do get an extremely generous range of input connections, with a huge four HDMI 2.0b ports, a single DisplayPort 1.2, and also Thunderbolt 3 USB-C connectivity. The latter has an output, too, so you can daisy-chain screens into a giant multi-monitor array. There’s a USB 3.0 hub that offers a pair of Type-A downstream ports and even a Type-C option.

So this is a substantial screen in every area. But is it worth two grand? Let’s take a closer look to find out.

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/monitors/james-morris/asus-proart-pa32uc-32in-monitor-review/feed/0Toshiba OCZ RC100 240GB SSD Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/toshiba-ocz-rc100-240gb-ssd-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/toshiba-ocz-rc100-240gb-ssd-review/#respondMon, 02 Jul 2018 09:23:25 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=377697Toshiba’s latest addition to its range of consumer NVMe drives is the RC100, aimed at the value end of the NVMe market. It sits between the TR200 SATA SSD and the enthusiast NVMe RD400 in Toshiba’s consumer SSD drive line up.

The first thing that grabs you about the new drive is just how small it is – built on the M.2 2242 format, it’s just 42mm long. To get such a small package Toshiba has used a BGA (Ball Grid Array) design with the controller and the 64-layer TLC BiCS NAND stacked into a single package. The controller is an in-house Toshiba design but details about it are pretty non-existent. While it’s their first BGA PCIe SSD for the consumer space, the company has been offering BGA SSD’s in the OEM segment for around three years.

There are a couple of limitations going down this design route; there’s not enough space for any DRAM cache and the interface is limited to PCIe x2. Instead of DRAM cache, the RC100 uses something called Host Memory Buffer (HMB). HMB was part of the NVMe Rev 1.2 specification. It allows a drive to have access to part of the host system’s main memory to use as a small scale cache.

The new drive comes in three capacities: 120 GB, 240 GB, (the drive that Toshiba kindly provided for review) and the flagship 480 GB. The official sequential performance figures for the 240GB drive are up to 1,600MB/s for reads and up to 1,050MB/s for writes. The 120GB drive is rated at up to 1,350MB/s and 700MB/s for reads and writes respectively, while the 480GB drive read figures is the same as the 240GB with a slight increase in write speed at 1100MB/s.

When it comes to random read/write performance, Toshiba quotes figures at a QD of 32. The 120GB drive is rated as up to 80,000 IOPS for reads and up to 95,000 IOPS for writes while the 240GB drive gets an up to 130,000 IOPS rating for reads and the 480GB drive gets 150,000 IOPS. Both drives are rated as up to 110,000 IOPS for writes.

Toshiba quotes an endurance figure for the 240GB drive as 120TB TBW which works out at around 110 GB/Sday writes for the length of the 3 year warranty the drive comes with.

Physical Specifications:

Usable Capacities: 240GB

NAND Components: Toshiba 64-layer 3D BiCS TLC

NAND Controller: Toshiba

Cache: DRAM less design

Interface: PCIe Gen 3.1a x2

NVMe command set: 1.2.1

Form Factor: M.2 2242 B-M key

Dimensions: 42 x 22 x 0.15mm

Drive Weight: 3.1g

Firmware Version: ADRA0101

]]>https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/toshiba-ocz-rc100-240gb-ssd-review/feed/0PC Specialist Vulcan X (i7-8700K & 1080 Ti) System Reviewhttps://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/gaming-rig/edward-chester/pc-specialist-vulcan-x-i7-8700k-1080-ti-system-review/
https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/gaming-rig/edward-chester/pc-specialist-vulcan-x-i7-8700k-1080-ti-system-review/#respondFri, 29 Jun 2018 08:14:34 +0000https://www.kitguru.net/?p=377292If you’re after the ultimate in gaming performance but for the lowest possible outlay, this system from PC Specialist should be right up your street. Packing an Intel Core i7-8700K and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, it’s a top-notch gaming machine yet it costs just £1,629.

Considering that CPU and graphics card combo alone will set you set you back over £1,000 when bought separately, to get a full system for £600 more is mighty impressive.

You also get a Fractal case with a glass side panel, a 256GB M.2 SSD, a 2TB hard drive and of course all the essentials to keep everything running, including a Corsair power supply, Asus motherboard and Corsair all-in-one liquid CPU cooler. The system even comes pre-overclocked.

Otherwise, there’s next to nothing in the way of extras here, with just a couple of strips of white LEDs lighting up in the interior, but for the price this should still prove to be a mighty impressive PC.